Ep. 35 - Atlanta, USA
More than 238 days of this wild adventure I've been calling The Friday Take Five. Thank you for following along for 35 episodes of me digging into the stories of incredible places around the world. On our 35th installment, we head to the southern US and the birthplace of MLK: Atlanta, Georgia. Adventure awaits!
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Transcription:
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238 days and counting… You guys have been sticking along for the journey and I couldn’t be more grateful. Thank you for adventuring along with me from the US, to South America, to Africa, Europe, and Asia. It’s been a blast getting to discover and share the incredible stories of places all around the globe. Honestly, I’m just psyched that I get to talk about some of the cool places I’ve been or places that are high on my bucket list and that there are people that take a few minutes out of their busy days to give it a listen. I hope that when you do listen, you get to reminisce about some of your own travel memories, or get inspired to book your next adventure. You’re listening to the 35th episode of The Friday Take Five, and with that, let’s discover another awesome destination.
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I touched down on a beautiful May day at the busiest airport in the world, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, based out of, you guessed it, Atlanta Georgia, in the good ole US of A. Things started off smoothly enough, if I could only find where the heck the rideshare pick ups were. Those that have been through this super busy airport can probably attest to the fact that it feels like you have to go over the river and through the woods to ground transportation.
Once I finally made it to the right pick up zone, the excitement started to build. It was my first time in Atlanta, and although granted it was for work, I was still excited to see more of a new city.
The drive from ATL to Midtown, which is where I was staying, was mostly uneventful, and surprisingly forested, save for some billboards advertising the beauty of the Peach State. That changed with the advent of crazy drivers when we hit downtown and a handful of close calls that left my driver cursing.
Finally, I arrived and checked in at the hotel, and before long was looking out my room window at some of the incredible buildings of the city.
Dinner was spent out with some colleagues at Tin Lizzy’s, a great little taco place in Midtown great for a fairly casual night out.
The next day, though primarily spent working, offered some more fantastic views of the city from our Atlanta based office. We ate out at another great restaurant, Indian this time, called Tabla, and I would go back to both places in a heartbeat.
Now I know you’re asking, Mark, you were in Georgia and you didn’t even get BBQ or anything peach related? Sad, I know, which is why I’m already hoping to get back there asap, but I was going with the flow and eating where the group wanted to eat.
Beyond just being a beautiful and vibrant city with great food, Atlanta is yet another city with an awesome story just bursting to be told.
Atlanta is a city of the old South. Back in the 1830s, Georgia was building out rail lines to connect to other rail infrastructure across the U.S. Consequently, Atlanta turned into a major distribution hub for the south. This meant that come the civil war era in the 1860s, the city also became a target for the northern Union troops. They torched much of the city leaving it a shell of itself.
However, amidst the destruction, came a great rebirth and progress. In the years following the war, some of the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities began to spring up and black middle and upper classes began to emerge.
Martin Luther King Junior, born in Atlanta, helped push that progress forward in Atlanta and across the South throughout the civil rights movement, helping lead to the eventual desegregation of schools in the early 1960s.
Today, MLK is remembered in Atlanta fondly, with the King Center in downtown Atlanta painting a picture of his life, and serving as his final resting place.
Unfortunately, I just got a first taste of Atlanta, and there is so much more to see and experience. I’m already looking forward to getting back for some southern barbecue, getting fresh peaches, and learning much more of the history of this incredible place. I’ll definitely be heading back there soon, and I hope to see you there!
*Transition music*
Hey Fivers! Thanks for listening to our 35th episode. If you haven’t already, give us a 5 star rating on podcasting platforms, and share this episode with a friend. Have your own stories about Atlanta? We’d love to hear it so follow us and DM us on socials @FridayTakeFive or email us at thefridaytakefive@gmail.com. Stay curious, stay adventuring, and have a great weekend!
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